Down Town. The Grand Central Market Los Angeles

 It’s not called Tinsel Town for nothing but dig beneath the tawdry surface and Los Angeles has a history.

My friends in Los Angeles live near the amazing Le Brea tar pits. 

But, they had never been Downtown. When I told them that I wanted to go the Mexican Central Market we went to Olvera Street.

As nice as Olvera Street is, it closely resembles a Mexican Camden Town. I bought some Mexican lotto cards and was very tempted by the many Frieda Carlo shrines on display. And, there are plenty of historic buildings and monuments including El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument. It is after all, the heart of the original Los Angeles and close to the beautiful old Union train station.

But it’s not the kind of market I'm after. Grand Central Market is only about four blocks west of Olvera Street in the heart of Downtown. 

Downtown Los Angeles is rich in some of the oldest buildings in the city, including a stunning 1925 art deco library and the charmingly named AngelsFlight Funicular which dates back to 1901 when Bunker Hill was the fashionable place to live. Whilst we were there, the library had an exhibition of props from The Wizard of Oz. Including those shoes.  Only in Los Angeles.

A few months after we took our trip on The Angels Flight, a man was killed, putting it out of action for a few years. 

The Grand Central Market was founded in 1917 and is still going strong, providing a source of ingredients for the Mexican community living in the neighbourhood and a cheap lunch for the businesses based in the neighbourhood.

As you enter, there’s a juice bar, squeezing guava, mango, pineapple and papaya into gorgeous concoctions. The China Café’s neon lit sign flashes chop suey & chow mein, registering that it’s been there since the 1920’s.

The vegetable stalls are piled high with cactus paddles, prickly pair, unrecognisable greens, green tomatoes, avocado leaves, and tomatillos.

Meat stalls predominate with pork, every cut and part of the animal of display from tail to snout.

Everywhere there are beautiful old signs hanging from the high ceiling. The market resonates with character and life, an every day shopping place for local people.  

There are Spanish, Cuban and naturally, Mexican groceries of all description.

The longest queues are reserved for the Mexican food stalls; we join and wait for our pulled pork. Next to the stand, warm corn tortillas shoot hot off the machine. We help ourselves to a fragrant green salsa, slick with coriander, tomatillos and lime. It’s difficult to finish but it’s so good, the pork accompanied by a side of refried beans, and green rice. The best $5 we’ve spent on lunch in a long while. There are other good places to eat real Mexican food in Los Angeles (Loteria at the farmers market is outstanding) but this is one of the best.

At a stall that specialises in fruit, dried fruit and nuts; a hunk of guava cheese goes into my bag. Dried chillies many of which are unavailable in the UK. Mexican oregano, so different from the European one. I wish I could bring back avocado leaves and cactus paddles but that would be a step too far.

The place is packed with people shopping for dinner, the atmosphere rich with accents, loud calls in Spanish and American, and few tourists.

Over the road is a building featured in Blade Runner.

I hope the market’s not been spoilt. I want to go back.